Les Bowen

STAFF WRITER

Les Bowen has covered the Eagles since 2002. Before that, he covered the Flyers for 13 years. He came to the Daily News from the Charlotte Observer in May 1983, just as the Sixers were winning the NBA championship. He thought, "Gosh, this sort of thing must happen all the time here."

Eagles linebacker Casey Matthews, mainly a special teams player in recent weeks, confirmed after practice that he will work in the nickel this week at Miami, along with Keenan Clayton.

Matthews, a fourth-round rookie, said he was eager to get another chance after losing starting roles in the middle and on the weakside. Toward the end of the interview, he was asked about winning over Eagles fans, who reacted with vitriol to his early struggles.

"I'm trying to," Matthews said. "It's hard. One of the earlier games, they harassed my family and made my fiancee cry. It's tough. It's frustrating. That's just how they are here. If you win they love you, so I guess we've just got to turn things around and just start winning again."

Matthews said his fiancee was wearing his jersey, making her easily identifiable. He said she was with "my aunt and my little cousin."

Matthews is the latest straw cluched at by the defensive coaches, who literally have tried every linebacker on the roster in a starting or nickel role, except for Greg Lloyd, promoted recently from the practice squad.

Matthews said he was able to "sit back and get an actual grasp of the defense" after Brian Rolle took his weakside job. Matthews was named the starting middle linebacker in training camp, wiothout ever having taken a snap.

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Two surgery updates from the Eagles: Sfety Colt Anderson underwent an ACL reconstruction and partial meniscectomies in his left knee by Eagles orthopedist Peter DeLuca, of the Rothman Institute.

Linebacker Moise Fokou underwent a repair of his high right ankle sprain by Dr. Steven Raikin, of the Rothman Institute. Fokou’s surgery was performed at Jefferson at the Navy Yard.

Anderson was injured at Seattle on Dec. 1, while Fokou suffered his injury vs. New England on Nov. 27. Both players are currently on the Injured Reserve list.